Ornamental mounting



y 1950 R. J. FOUS ORNAMENTAL MOUNTING,

Filed Oct. 20, 1945 Patented July 4, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ORNAMENTAL MOUNTING Robert J. Fou s, Cicero, in.

Application October 20, 1945, Serial No. 623,509

This invention relates to an ornamental mounting for finger rings, broochesand other jewelry,

compacts and other ornamented articles, and its principal object is to provide means whereby the design. shape and color of the mounting may be changed by a member thereof which partially covers a stationary member and is capable of being rotated relative thereto to expose parts thereof which-were previously covered by the rotatable member.

Another object is the provision of locking means between the two members of the mounting for holding the rotatable member in a plurality of fixed positions. I

Another object is the provision of resilient means between the two members, permitting disconnection between the locking means and serving to yieldably seat the rotatable member upon the stationary one.

With these and other objects and advantages in view, this invention consists in the several novel features hereinafter fully set forth and more particularly defined in the appended claim.

The invention is clearly illustrated in the drawing accompanying this specification, in which:

Fig. l is a plan of a finger ring embodying a simple form of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a, side elevation-thereof;

Fig. 3 is a plan partly broken away and showing the rotatable member rotated ninety degrees from the position seen in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a vertical longitudinal fragmental section taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a fragmental section taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4; and

Fig. 6 is a, fragmental vertical section taken on the line B6 of Fig. 4.

All of the figures are upon greatly enlarged scales. l

Referring to said drawing, which illustrates the ornamental mounting applied to a finger ring, In designates the ring. Upon the ring is secured the stationary member I l of the mounting, as by soldering it thereto or otherwise as desired. The stationary member may be in the form of a plate and it is here shown as of concavoconvex form, although that is not essential to the invention broadly considered. The stationary plate may take various shapes and configurations and it is here shown as of a square configuration.

The upper face of the stationary plate may be suitably ornamented and colored, the corner portions a (see Fig. 1) having a different design or ornamentation and color than the portions b (see Fig. 3) between the corner portions. Associated with the stationary'plate is a rotatable member,

here shown as comprising a plate l2 which may be of the same or different configuration as the stationary plate. It is also shown as of concavo- 1 convex form and of approximately the same curvature as the stationary plate. The rotatable plate is here shown as formed with square corner portions l3 with open spaces therebetween in which may be openwork scallops l 4 joining the corner portions l3. The side edges of these corner portions connect with a central raised boss l5 through edges [6 that run towards the middle portion of the boss and the scallops join said edges IE to make a pleasing and attractive design. The corner portions I3 may be ornamented as desired and precious stones may be secured on them to enhance the beauty of the plate, and the central boss may be used to hold a diamond or other precious stone. The shape and design of the rotatable plate may be varied as desired;

preferably its overall dimensions are the same as those of the stationary plate so that the corner portions of the rotatable plate may coincide with the corner portions of the stationary plate in one position of the rotatable plate with respect to the stationary one (see Fig. 3).

soldered or otherwise secured to the rotatable plate at its center is a pin ll, here shown as comprising a tubular pin and said pin extends through a hole in the stationary plate located at its center. Thepin is rotatably mounted in the hole and can be moved axially thereof by lifting up the rotatable plate.

Secured upon the lower end of the pin in any suitable manner is a shoulder, here shown in the form of a ring I8, to which is secured as by soldering or otherwise an outer tube l9which extends from the shoulder l8 to within a short distance'from the underface of the stationary plate, suificient space being left between the upper end of the outer tube 19 and underface of the stationary plate to permit the rotatable plate to be raised sufficiently to disengage certain locking means between the two plates, as will be presently described. The tube l9 and ring l8 may be composed of a single piece if desired.

Secured to and extending down from the underface of the stationary plate is an intermediate tube 20, over which the outer tube telescopes, and extending between the underface of the stationary plate and the shoulder I8 is a light coiled compression spring 2| which is concealed by the two tubes I9, 20. Said spring functions to yieldably seat the rotatable plate on the stationary one.

The outer tube 19 serves to enclose the spring, to act as a stop limiting the separation of the two plates, and through its connection with the pin I! functions to compress the spring when the rotatable plate is lifted.

Extending down from the underface of the rotatable plate adjacent the pin l I are one or more latches 22 that are arranged to engage in radial slots 23, 24 formed in the stationary plate. Two latches and four slots are shown, those indicated by 24 being spaced forty-five degrees from the slots 23, the purpose being to hold the rotatable plate at two angularly disposed places forty-five degrees apart; that is'to say, with the rotatable plate registering with the stationary plate, as seen in Fig. 3, or turned forty-five degrees so as to bring the corner portions of the rotatable plate midway between the corners of the stationary plate, as seen in Fig. 1.

For the purpose of additionally securely holding the rotatable plate in either of its positions, one or more pins 25 are secured to the stationary plate and are arranged to enter holes 26, 21 in the underside of the rotatable plate. Two pins and four holes are shown, the holes 21' being spaced forty-five degrees apart from the holes 26 to enable the pins to engage in the proper holes when the rotatable plate is adjusted to either of its positions relative to the stationary plate.

Assuming that the rotatable plate is occupying the position seen in Fig. 1 with its corner portions overlying the portions of the stationary plate between its corner portions, the exposed corner portions of the stationary plate and ornamcntations thereon are .visible through the open spaces between the corner portions of the rotatable plate which, together with the ornamentations on the rotatable plate, produce a beautiful design. The portions of the stationary plate located below the solid portions of the rotatable plate are differently ornamented or engraved or colored, but these portions of the stationary plate are covered by the solid corner portions of the rotatable plate and are invisible.

To change the design, color and shape of the mounting the rotatable plate is lifted until the outer tube 59 strikes the underface of the stationary plate, thus releasing the pins from the holes and the latches from the slots, and the rotatable plate is then turned through an arc of forty-five degrees and released, permitting the latches to enter the other slots and the pins to enter the other holes. When th locking means are in register and the rotatable plate is released the spring immediately draws down the pin H, thereby'seating the rotatable plate on the stationary one.

Obviously the plate members of the mounting may be made of precious metal ware, plated ware or any other desirable material and of various sizes and shapes with suitable ornamentations or decorations thereon, and the rotatable plate is suitable as a setting for precious stones.

From the above it is apparent that I have provided an ornamental mounting which is attractive and pleasing, and that the design, color and shape may be changed by merely shifting the rotatable plate from one of its positions relative to the stationary plate to another position. Furthermore, that the rotatable plate is yieldably seated and held against accidental rotation.

Having thus described my invention, it obvious that various modifications may be made in the same without departing from the spirit of my invention; hence, I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the exact form, arrangement and combination of parts herein shown and described or uses mentioned.

' What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

In an ornamental mounting of the character described, a stationary ornamented, member, a rotatable ornamented member having solid portions covering portions of the stationary member and spaces between said solid portions through which portions of the stationary member are visible, a pin secured to the rotatable member and rotatably mounted in the stationary member,

. said rotatable member and pin being axially movable with respect to the stationary member, a pair of telescoping tubes, the inner tube of which is secured to the stationary member and the outer tube having a shoulder secured to the pin, said outer tube overlying the adjacent end of said first tube to limit axial movement between said members, a coiled compression spring interposed between said shoulder and the stationary member operative to urge said members toward one another, and means for interlocking said members to prevent relative rotation therebetween when in their normal positions comprising a projection on the opposed face of one of said members, the other member having a pair of spaced recesses therein each of a size to receive said projection, said recess being angularly spaced and substantially radially equidistant from the axis of rotation of said members, with the radial distance of said recess being substantially equal to the radial distance of said projection, the side walls of each of said recesses being substantially complementary to the side walls of said projection and extending in the same direction as said axis, the height of said projection being less than the maximum relative axial movement of said members, said resilient means being operative to normally maintain said projection within either one of said recesses.

ROBERT J. FOUS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 241,521 Wodiska et al. May 17, 1881 1,375,756 Holmes Apr. 26, 1921 2,355,922 Minero Aug. 15, 1944 

